OBITUARY

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 17 December 1926, Page 2

OBITUARY

REV. THOMAS G. HAMMOND,

L The “Daily News" states that word was received in New Plymouth on Wednesday of the death of the Rev. T. Hammond at his home in Lichfield, Waikato. The deceased gentleman hud been in indifferent health for some months past and died in his 80th year. Mr. Hammond was particularly Avell known in South Taranaki, where ho laboured as a missionary of the Methodist Church for nearly 30 years. His headcpxarters were at Paten, but in Iks work amongst the Maoris he was a much respected visitor to practically all their villages between New Plymouth and Patea. He held the esteem of all the older natives of rank and was a particular friend of To Whiti and Tohu, the last of the prophets who for so many years held such great sway amongst the Maoris. Very few men possessed such a great store of knowledge of Maori lore and customs as the Rev. Hammond, for his friendliness with the old Maori learned men OMibled him to assimilate a wealth of information tnat was given only to few white men in whom these old tohungas had implicit faith and reliance. Deceased married a New Plymouth lady, Miss yt. George (niece of Miss Shaw, New: Plymouth). Mrs. Hammond and her grown-up family will have the sympathy of a very large number of people in Taranaki, both pakeha and Maori, among whom Mr. Hammond laboured for so many years. It is given unto few men to be so universally mourned by two races of people. In 1923 Mr. Hammond wrote ‘The Story of Aolea.* This work is particularly interesting to Taranaki folk, being the story of the Aotca canoe which arrived from Tahiti at Patea somewhere about the year 1350. This canoe was commanded by the renowned navigator Turi, the founder of the tribes living around the Waimate Plains, Hawera, Patea, and as far south as Wanganui. The outstanding feature of “The Story of Aotea” lies in the fact that the author collected his infornration -first-hand from the old learned men of the districts amongst whom he was so long associated.